A Healthy Start for Your Baby
As a new mom, I faced challenges I had never before anticipated. Before my baby was born, I began to think about all sorts of health, safety and educational concerns. It seemed as though everyone I knew was all too happy to give advice on the different subjects. Unfortunately, it was often contradictory, leaving me right where I started—utterly confused. So I read the magazines at my doctor’s office, surfed the Internet, read books and anything else I could get my hands on. So why do we bother? Why do we torment ourselves with this endless search for answers? Because we want the very best for our babies. That is a beautiful thing and just the beginning of many sacrifices we will make as moms.
One of my particular concerns as a first time Mom was weaning my baby onto solid foods. When the time came, I researched all of my options. Should I feed my baby jarred purees or make homemade purees? Is fresh really better? Which foods should I begin with? What benefit does each fruit or vegetable have? If every child is different, what is best for mine? What is best for your baby? Experts recommend introducing solid foods around the six month mark. The reason for this is due to an insufficient amount of certain nutrients and vitamins like Iron and Vitamin D in breast milk and formula. As your baby grows, her nutritional needs can no longer be fulfilled with breast milk and formula alone. Thus the solid foods journey begins.
Our sense of taste is formed in early childhood, making baby’s first experiences with solid foods very important. If your baby becomes accustomed to processed foods that are high in sugars and modified starches, her taste will develop accordingly. By offering fresh fruits and vegetables without additives as the first solid foods, you will set a course of good eating habits for a lifetime.
As with older children and adults, fresh foods are more appetizing to your baby than jarred foods simply because they smell and taste better. Thickening agents known as “fillers”, give jarred baby foods a chalky taste. Adding fillers reduces manufacturing costs. It also compromises the nutritional value of the ingredients. Another reason fresh foods are more nutritious than jarred foods is they are able to retain more nutrients. The jarring process necessitates the use of very high heat under pressure, which results in a loss of nutrients, especially Vitamins A and B.
Vitamins A and B are essential for growth, healthy skin, tooth enamel, good vision, changing food into energy, a healthy nervous system and as an aid to digestion. They also boost the immune system. Vitamin A is found in carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, mangoes, and squash. Vitamin B is found in meat, dairy, produce and eggs. Vitamin C is important for growth, healthy tissue and healing of wounds as it helps to fight infection. It also helps with the absorption of iron. Vitamin C is found in broccoli, sweet peppers, potatoes, cauliflower, melon and papaya. Iron is needed for healthy blood and muscles. Iron deficiency is very common and will leave your child feeling tired and run down. Red meat is the best source of iron. It’s more difficult to absorb iron from non-meat sources. However, if combined with Vitamin C rich foods, iron absorption can be increase by about 30 percent. Calcium is important for strong bones, good teeth and growth. Broccoli is a good source of both iron and calcium.
When introducing solid foods, begin by offering your baby purees of fresh fruit and vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, carrots, butternut squash, pears, apples, bananas, cherries, and papaya. These are all favorites due to their naturally sweet taste. Purees may be combined with formula or breast milk and baby rice cereal. It is important that you maintain your baby’s formula or breast milk intake during this time. Always follow your Pediatrician’s instructions for feeding your baby. And never leave your baby unattended during a feeding.
The preparation of fresh homemade baby foods may seem like a daunting task to parents of a new baby because it comes at such a demanding time. I found it saves time to prepare large batches of purees and freeze them in ice cube trays for perfect one ounce portions. The freezing process locks in the nutrients and vitamins and allows storage for up to eight weeks in your freezer. However, if you just can’t seem to find enough hours in the day, you have another option. There are companies that will deliver freshly made frozen purees right to your door. It may cost a bit more than jarred baby foods, but many moms feel the convenience and health benefits far outweigh the cost. Instead of spending hours in the kitchen, you will have more time to spend with your family. After all, these first years are said to “fly by”. That is one thing moms everywhere are in agreement on and they aren’t kidding!
